The Pottinger

In June 2014, a 68-room boutique hotel debuted on the upper steps of Pottinger Street, named for Hong Kong’s first governor—Sir Henry Pottinger—and one of Hong Kong’s oldest stone lanes. It’s tucked just far enough away from the business and bustle of the Central district to feel decades away. In celebration of its location in old-yet-modern Central, the Pottinger blends Chinese heritage and European flair; the sunlit rooms decorated individually with objects like blue-and-white vases, cream leather chairs, and pink flower-and-bird wall panels that combine Eastern motifs with European colonial touches. Room decorations, including jade pendants (symbolizing prosperity, longevity, and peace) in some rooms, were chosen from Central district shops. Seven suites are named in honor of local streets—Hollywood, Wellington, and, of course, Pottinger—and black-and-white photos of Central taken by world-renowned photographer and film director Fan Ho in the 1950s and '60s further celebrate the neighborhood, one of Ho’s favorite places on Earth. Guests discover that the markets and street stalls depicted in the moody photos are still right outside their floor-to-ceiling windows. In-room documentaries about Fan Ho and Pottinger Street bring the whole experience to life.